Community & Regional Planning Center

The Community and Regional Planning Center (CRPC) is a joint venture at Fresno State
between the College of Social Sciences, Department of Geography and OCED. It serves
as the administrator of the San Joaquin Valley Regional Blueprint Toolkit - an online
repository of resources and tools for Valley planners - as well as a resource hub
between the regional initiatives of its participating organizations (above). Through
collaboration with numerous partners, CRPC links technical assistance providers to
Valley communities and serves as an information hub and resource for planning-related
knowledge and research, peer learning networks, and expertise.

News and Events

11/9/15-Mendota Walkability Audit

Above On November 9, 2015, OCED conducted a walkability audit in an attempt to assess the
safety and accessibility of the environment in Mendota on the major corridors in the
city. The audit team consisted of 13 individuals, including OCED staff, and 12 community
members from the West Side Youth Center. The walkability audit was conducted in an
attempt to assess the walkability and accessibility of the City of Mendota. The audit
route acted as a representative sample of the commercial and residential corridors
of the city. The audit began at the West Side Youth Center and continued Northeast
on 7th Street, capturing a busy commercial corridor and a popular walking route for
Mendota children. The route continued past Oller Street, to a small residential neighborhood,
and continued back down 7th Street. The route ended back at the West Side Youth Center
on 7th Street and Quince Street.

10/12/15-San Joaquin: Walkability 101

Above On October 12, 2015, OCED conducted a Walkability and Economic Development 101 workshop
and a walkability audit in an attempt to assess the safety and accessibility of the
environment in San Joaquin on the major corridors in the city. The audit team consisted
of nine individuals, including OCED staff, and seven community members. The walkability
audit was conducted in an attempt to assess the walkability and accessibility of the
City of San Joaquin. The audit route acted as a representative sample of the commercial
and residential corridors o the city. The audit began on Main Street and continued
Northwest on Nevada Avenue, capturing data in a school zone. The audit route continued
Southwest on 7th Street, capturing a large residential corridor. On the route back
to Main Street, the audit team traveled Southwest on Colorado, and ended in the busy
commercial corridor on Main Street.

9/17/15-Avenal Walkability Audit

Above On September 17, 2015, OCED and Pueblo Unido Mejorando Avenal (PUMA) conducted a walkability
audit in an attempt to assess the safety and accessibility of the environment in Avenal
on the major corridors in the city. The audit team consisted of 15 individuals, including
OCED staff, 12 community members (two of which were children), and one employee from
the City of Avenal. The walkability audit was conducted in an attempt assess the walkability
and accessibility of the City of Avenal. The audit route acted as a representative
sample of the commercial and residential corridors of the city. The audit began at
City Hall and continued southwest on Highway 269, capturing data on a large commercial
corridor. As the audit route made its way back toward City Hall on E. Dome St., auditors
were able to collect additional data on a residential corridor.

7/29/15-OCED Partners with Cultiva la Salud

Above On July 29, 2015, OCED partnered with Cultiva la Salud to host a town hall meeting
at the Orange Cove Community Center with over 60 participants, including city council
members, the mayor, city manager, police department representatives, residents, and
business owners. The purpose of the town hall meeting was to engage residents in a
discussion about walkability and public health in Orange Cove. Through the community
forum, participants learned about the realities of access to health food and the importance
that walkability has on the health of the community.

7/23/15-Mendota: Walkability 101

Above On July 23, 2015, OCED conducted a Walkability and Economic Development 101 workshop
to seven individuals in Mendota, including Mendota City staff and members of the community.
The workshop consisted of a presentation about walkability and the correlation that
it has with economic development, followed with a community discussion. Participants
also completed a walkability survey, which acted as a tool to measure the community's
perception of walkability in their neighborhoods. The results of the walkability survey
will supplement the walkability audits and business surveys that were scheduled for
Mendota at a later date.

7/9/15-Avenal: Walkability 101

Above John Gonzalez, program assistant presented a Walkability and Economic Development
101 workshop to members of the Avenal community group, PUMA-Pueblo Unido Mejorando
Avenal. Those in attendance included city council members, business owners, and active
residents. The presentation covered the elements of walkability and ways to work to
increase walking and bicycling in Avenal. A Walkability Audit will be conducted at
a future PUMA meeting.

PUMA's mission statement is to "increase awareness and participation of residents
in Avenal, CA, for the wellbeing of the community." Its goals are to:

Improve the health and education of residents, youth, farm workers, and Immigrants

Advocate, Develop, Sustain, and Support programs for youth and adults in the community.

Ensure that institutions can provide support to maximize the development of our community.

7/7/15-Planners Who Lunch

Above Twenty Valley planners from Fresno, Madera, Sanger, Selma, and Visalia gathered on
Tuesday, July 7 for the first Planners Who Lunch of the year. Planners Who Lunch is
a quarterly, networking lunch speaker series hosted by the American Planning Association-CA Central Section and CRPC.

Above Dr. Sam Lankford, Professor and Chair of the Department of Recreation Administration
at Fresno State, kicked off the lunch series with a presentation about the economic
benefits of recreation development. Dr. Lankford has been a practicing planner in
California, Oregon, and Hawaii, and specializes in tourism and recreation development.
He is a member of the Urban and Regional Transformation Cohort at Fresno State.

The next quarterly lunch will be held in September. To receive updates on events from
Valley planners, please contact Program Coordinator, Jenna Chilingerian at jennac@csufresno.edu.

6/11/15-Orange Cove Walkability Audit

Above On June 11, 2015, OCED and members of the community conducted a walkability audit
in an attempt to assess the safety and accessibility of the environment in the City
of Orange Cove. The audit team consisted of 12 individuals, including OCED staff,
business owners, a police officer, and the City Manager. The walkability audit was
conducted in an attempt to assess the walkability and accessibility of the City of
Orange Cove. The audit route acted as a representative sample of the commercial corridors
of the city. The audit began at City Hall, proceeded East bound on Park Boulevard
until 2nd Street, and returned West on Park Boulevard back to City Hall.

4/17/15-Orange Cove: Walkability 101

Above Jenna Chilingerian, CRPC coordinator and John Gonzalez, program assistant presented
a Walkability and Economic Development 101 Workshop to members of the Orange Cove
Emerging Small Business class. The members of the class will be performing a walkability
audit of the Orange Cove downtown business corridor in May as follow up to the presentation.

The Orange Cove Emerging Small Business class is part of a USDA Rural Business Development
Grant that OCED's San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center (SJVRDC) administers.
The class is taught by SJVRDC staff and meets twice a week over the course of five
months. Topics include: E-Commerce, Cottage Food, Microloans, Web Development, Social
Media, Quickbooks, Marketing Strategies, and Energy/Water Conservation.

4/16/15-Mendota Farmers' Market

Above Fresno State students tended a booth at a Mendota weekly Farmers' Market on April
15. A team of seven students created a community questionnaire and walkability assessment
tool as part of their Recreation Administration Research and Evaluation in Recreation,
Parks, and Tourism course. The tools created will supplement the CRPC's StreetsAlive:
a Walking and Bicycling Audit Program in the cities of Avenal, Mendota, Orange Cove,
and San Joaquin.

Above Students handed out questionnaires to the public that asked a series of questions
about the sidewalks, street connectivity and overall safety while walking and biking
in the city of Mendota. A total of 45 surveys were collected (a 65% response rate).
Ages of participants ranged from 10 to 64 years old. The students will present their
findings as part of their class final and the questionnaire and walkability assessment
tool template will be replicated throughout the Central Valley by CRPC.

4/15/15-Avenal Walkability Workshop

Above Jenna Chilingerian, CRPC coordinator and John Gonzalez, program assistant presented
a Walkability Workshop on StreetsAlive: A Walking and Bicycling Audit program at the
Avenal Rotary Club. For more information about StreetsAlive, click here.

Top. The Iron Bird Lofts in downtown Fresno combines living, retail and commercial space.
This is an example of the City using mixed-use development to support smart growth
principles by creating compact walkable communities. Iron Bird Lofts consists of 16
three-story townhomes, 48 lofts and 16 two-bedroom flats, ranging from 900 sq. ft.
to 1,600 sq. ft.(Photo used with permission by Fresno Redevelopment Agency.)

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